Re: [Phys-l] hurricane question

[Brian Whatcott <betwys1@sbcglobal.net>]

At 09:31 AM 11/8/2008, Marty,  you wrote:
> ...
>         Hurricanes usually begin as tropical depressions in the 
> Atlantic off
> the coast of Africa, and then work their way westward to the Caribbean
> or Gulf, hitting Florida or the Gulf coast, with some heading north
> toward the Carolinas or Bermuda before ending up in New England,
> etc.    Lately in this season, however, we have seen two hurricanes in
> a row (Omar and Paloma) starting in the Caribbean as depressions,
> developing quickly into category 3 storms hitting the islands from the
> south and west and then heading out into the Atlantic.   Why does this
> reverse pattern occur?  Does it have anything to do with colder
> weather patterns and ocean temperatures in the Atlantic?
> ...Marty


I know so little meteorology that I am empowered to give you a
quite definitive answer. Here it is.
Nobody knows with any great assurance what the detailed genesis
 or path of a hurricane or tornado will surely be.
You already know the motivator for these effects - the heat engine
provided by air mass, and sea mass temperatures. You can take it
 that with an unusual hurricane genesis, there will be an unusual
 associated  thermal driver.
 Was that helpful?   :-)


Brian Whatcott    Altus OK    Eureka!